A Case of Identitytby Arthur Conan Doyle (5)

"It surprised me."

"But, surely, it was obvious. I was then much surprised and interested on glancing down to observe that, though the boots which she was wearing were not unlike each other, they were really odd ones; the one having a slightly decorated toe-cap, and the other a plain one. One was buttoned only in the two lower buttons out of five, and the other at the first, third, and fifth. Now, when you see that a young lady, otherwise neatly dressed, has come away from home with odd boots, half-buttoned, it is no great deduction to say that she came away in a hurry."

"And what else?" I asked, keenly interested, as I always was, by my friend's incisive reasoning.

"I noted, in passing, that she had written a note before leaving home but after being fully dressed. You observed that her right glove was torn at the forefinger, but you did not apparently see that both glove and finger were stained with violet ink. She had written in a hurry and dipped her pen too deep. It must have been this morning, or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger. All this is amusing, though rather elementary, but I must go back to business, Watson. Would you mind reading me the advertised description of Mr. Hosmer Angel?"

I held the little printed slip to the light.

"Missing [it said] on the morning of the fourteenth, a gentleman named Hosmer Angel. About five ft. seven in. in height; strongly built, sallow complexion, black hair, a little bald in the centre, bushy, black side-whiskers and moustache; tinted glasses, slight infirmity of speech. Was dressed, when last seen, in black frock-coat faced with silk, black waistcoat, gold Albert chain, and gray Harris tweed trousers, with brown gaiters over elastic-sided boots. Known to have been employed in an office in Leadenhall Street. Anybody bringing--"

"That will do," said Holmes. "As to the letters," he continued, glancing over them, "they are very commonplace. Absolutely no clew in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes Balzac once. There is one remarkable point, however, which will no doubt strike you."

"They are typewritten," I remarked.

"Not only that, but the signature is typewritten. Look at the neat little 'Hosmer Angel' at the bottom. There is a date, you see, but no superscription except Leadenhall Street, which is rather vague. The point about the signature is very suggestive --in fact, we may call it conclusive."

"Of what?"

"My dear fellow, is it possible you do not see how strongly it bears upon the case?"

"I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able to deny his signature if an action for breach of promise were instituted."

"No, that was not the point. However, I shall write two letters, which should settle the matter. One is to a firm in the City, the other is to the young lady's stepfather, Mr. Windibank, asking him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow evening. It is just as well that we should do business with the male relatives. And now, Doctor, we can do nothing until the answers to those letters come, so we may put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim."

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend's subtle powers of reasoning and extraordinary energy in action that I felt that he must have some solid grounds for the assured and easy demeanour with which he treated the singular mystery which he had been called upon to fathom. Once only had I known him to fail, in the case of the King of Bohemia and of the Irene Adler photograph; but when I looked back to the weird business of 'The Sign of Four', and the extraordinary circumstances connected with 'A Study in Scarlet', I felt that it would be a strange tangle indeed which he could not unravel.

To be continued...

A Case of Identitytby Arthur Conan Doyle (5) (с подсказками)

Установление личности. Артур Конан Дойл

"'Pon my word (честное слово), Watson, you are coming along wonderfully ['wAndqf(q)li] (вы делаете успехи). You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed (упустили) everything of importance, but you have hit upon (поняли) the method, and you have a quick eye for color. Never trust to general impressions (впечатлениям), my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. My first glance [glRns] (взгляд) is always at a woman's sleeve [slJv] (рукав). In a man it is perhaps (возможно) better first to take the knee of the trouser ['trauzq] (брюк). As you observe (видите), this woman had plush [plAS] (бархат) upon her sleeves [slJvz] (рукавах), which is a most useful material for showing traces ['treIsIz] (следы). The double line a little above the wrist [rIst] (запястья), where the typewritist ['taIp"raItIst] (машинистка) presses against the table, was beautifully ['bjHtqf(q)li] defined (прекрасно видна). The sewing-machine ['squINmq"Si:n] (швейная машинка), of the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side of it farthest ['fRDIst] (дальний) from the thumb [TAm] (большого пальца), instead of being right across the broadest ['brLdIst] (самая широкая) part, as this was. I then glanced [glRnst] (взглянул) at her face, and, observing (заметив) the dint [dInt] (след) of a pince-nez at either side of her nose, I ventured ['venCqd] (решился сделать) a remark [rI'mRk] (замечание) upon short sight and typewriting ['taIp"raItIN] (работе на печатной машинке), which seemed to surprise her."

"It surprised [sq'praIzd] (удивило) me."

"But, surely, it was obvious (очевидно). I was then much surprised [sq'praIzd] (удивлен) and interested on glancing ['glRnsIN] (когда посмотрел) down to observe that, though the boots [bHts] (ботинки) which she was wearing were not unlike ['An'laIk] (непохожи) each other, they were really odd (непарные) ones; the one having a slightly decorated ['dekqreItId] (узорчатый) toe-cap ['tqukxp] (носок), and the other a plain [pleIn] (гладкий) one. One was buttoned ['bAtnd] (застегнут) only in the two lower ['lquq] (нижние) buttons ['bAtnz] (пуговицы) out of five, and the other at the first, third [TE:d] (третью), and fifth [fIfT] (пятую). Now, when you see that a young lady, otherwise (в других отношениях) neatly ['nJtli] (опрятно) dressed, has come away from home with odd (непарных) boots [bHts] (ботинках), half-buttoned ['bAtnd] (застегнутых), it is no great deduction [dI'dAkS(q)n] (вывод) to say that she came away in a hurry ['hAri] (спешке)."

"And what else?" I asked, keenly ['kJnli] (сильно) interested, as I always was, by my friend's incisive [In'saIsIv] reasoning ['rJzqnIN] (проницательностью).

"I noted, in passing (мимоходом), that she had written a note before leaving home but after being fully dressed. You observed (заметили) that her right glove [glAv] (перчатка) was torn [tLn] (порвана) at the forefinger ['fLfINgq] (указательном пальце), but you did not apparently (по-видимому) see that both glove [glAv] (перчатка) and finger were stained [steInd] (испачканы) with violet ['vaIqlIt] (фиолетовыми) ink [INk] (чернилами). She had written in a hurry ['hAri] (спешке) and dipped [dIpt] (обмакнула) her pen [pen] (перо) too deep. It must have been this morning, or the mark would not remain clear upon the finger. All this is amusing [q'mjHzIN] (занятно), though rather elementary ["elI'ment(q)ri], but I must go back to business, Watson ['wPtsqn]. Would you mind reading me the advertised ['xdvqtaIzd] (данное в объявлении) description of Mr. Hosmer Angel?"

I held the little printed ['prIntId] (газетную) slip (вырезку) to the light.

"Missing [it said] (пропал без вести) on the morning of the fourteenth ["fL'tJnT] (четырнадцатого), a gentleman named Hosmer Angel. About five ft. (футов) seven in. (дюймов) in height [haIt] (роста); strongly built, sallow ['sxlqu] (желтоватый) complexion [kqm'plekSqn] (цвет лица), black hair, a little bald [bLld] (лысый) in the centre, bushy ['buSi] (густые), black side-whiskers ['saId-'wIskqz] (бакендарды) and moustache [mqs'tRS] (усы); tinted ['tIntId] (темные) glasses, slight [slaIt] (легкий) infirmity [In'fE:mItI] (дефект) of speech. Was dressed, when last seen, in black frock-coat [frPk-'kqut] (сюртук) faced with silk [sIlk] (шелком), black waistcoat ['weIskqut] (жилет), gold Albert ['xlbqt] chain, and gray [greI] (серые) Harris ['hxrIs] tweed [twJd] (твидовые) trousers ['trauzqz] (брюки), with brown gaiters ['geItqz] (гетры) over elastic-sided boots [bHts] (ботинок). Known to have been employed (работал) in an office in Leadenhall Street. Anybody bringing --"

"That will do (достаточно)," said Holmes. "As to the letters," he continued, glancing ['glRnsIN] (взглянув) over them, "they are very commonplace ['kPmqnpleIs] (банальны). Absolutely no clew [klu:] (зацепки) in them to Mr. Angel, save that he quotes [kwquts] (цитирует) Balzac once. There is one remarkable [rI'mRkqb(q)l] (поразительная) point, however, which will no doubt strike (поразит) you."

"They are typewritten ['taIp"rItn] (напечатаны на машинке)," I remarked [rI'mRkt] (заметил).

"Not only that, but the signature ['sIgnqCq(r)] (подпись) is typewritten ['taIp"rItn] (напечатана на машинке). Look at the neat [nJt] (аккуратное) little 'Hosmer Angel' at the bottom. There is a date, you see, but no superscription ["sju:pq'skrIpSqn] (адреса) except Leadenhall Street, which is rather vague [veIg] (неопределенно). The point about the signature ['sIgnqCq(r)] (подписи) is very suggestive [sq'GestIv] (дает намек) -- in fact, we may call it conclusive [kqn'klu:sIv] (определенно указывает на ...)."

"Of what?"

"My dear [dIq] (дорогой) fellow ['felqu] (друг), is it possible you do not see how strongly it bears upon (имеет отношение к) the case?"

"I cannot say that I do unless it were that he wished to be able to deny (отказаться от) his signature ['sIgnqCq(r)] (подписи) if an action (иск) for breach [bri:C] (нарушение) of promise were instituted ['InstItjHtId] (предъявлен)."

"No, that was not the point (суть не в этом). However, I shall write two letters, which should settle the matter (уладят этот вопрос). One is to a firm in the City, the other is to the young lady's stepfather ['step"fRDq] (отчиму), Mr. Windibank, asking him whether he could meet us here at six o'clock tomorrow evening. It is just as well that we should do business with the male relatives ['relqtIvz] (родственниками). And now, Doctor, we can do nothing until the answers to those letters come, so we may put our little problem upon the shelf for the interim ['IntqrIm] (временно)."

I had had so many reasons to believe in my friend's subtle [sAtl] (тонкую) powers of reasoning ['rJzqnIN] (проницательность) and extraordinary [Ik'strLd(q)n(q)ri] (необычайную) energy in action that I felt that he must have some solid ['sPlId] grounds (веские основания) for the assured [q'Suqd] (уверенного) and easy demeanour [dI'mJnq] (поведения) with which he treated the singular ['sINgjulq] (странной) mystery ['mIst(q)rI] (тайны) which he had been called upon to fathom ['fxDqm] (разгадать). Once only had I known him to fail, in the case of the King of Bohemia [bq'hJmiq] and of the Irene [aI'rJni] Adler ['xdlq] photograph; but when I looked back to the weird [wIqd] (таинственное) business of 'The Sign of Four', and the extraordinary [Ik'strLd(q)n(q)ri] circumstances (необыкновенные обстоятельства) connected with 'A Study in Scarlet' [skRlIt] (багровых тонах), I felt that it would be a strange tangle [txNgl] (клубок) indeed which he could not unravel [An'rxvql] (распутать).

До встречи!

Искренне ваш,
Алексей Винидиктов
www.vinidiktov.ru